Set generations after War for the Planet of the Apes, Kingdom of the Planets of the Apes sets a new course for the franchise that is the inverse of 2011’s Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Wes Ball takes over Matt Reeves‘s franchise and succeeds stunningly. In Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, humans are on the brink of extinction while apes control the planet. The few remaining humans are looked down on by apes and perceived as unintelligent. The apes are divided into different clans, with each having its own rules. Some adhere closely to Caesar’s teaching, others twist his words to suit their desire for power, and others don’t know anything about Caesar.
Ball and Josh Friedman‘s screenplay makes an interesting choice to focus the story on one specific ape’s quest. Filling the shoes of Andy Serkis as Caesar is no easy task, but Owen Teague is excellent as Noa. After another clan destroys Noa’s village, he goes on a quest to find his family and friends. Along the way, he meets Raka (Peter Macon) who teaches Noa about Caesar. Then, he crosses paths with Mae (Freya Allen), a human being whose ability to speak, and her intelligence makes her a rare human being.
The rival clan is led by Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand), who uses Caesar’s words and the history of man to rule over his kingdom. He wants Noa and Mae’s help to unlock a vault that could be the key to humanity’s resurgence or in the hands of Proximus a tool to gain more power.
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The highlight of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is the uneasy dynamic between Noa and Mae. Noa never trusts Mae, yet they continue to work together to defeat Proximus. Their unique dynamic allows for quite a bit of tension in every scene.
The previous Apes trilogy was visually breathtaking. Kingdom is no exception. The apes always feel like they belong in the world.
Kingdom’s only blemish is the modern shirt, and the torn jeans worn by Mae don’t mesh with the attire worn by other humans. It’s a small nitpick, but when so much of the world feels right, it takes you out of the movie.
Overall, Kingdom of the Planet of Apes is an emotionally gripping addition that proves the franchise still has plenty of life.
With the overview out of the way, let’s explore Noa’s clan, Proximus’s kingdom, and the human-ape relationship in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. The other Planet of the Apes films are available to stream on Hulu.
Eagle Clan
Noa is part of a clan that is closely connected to eagles. As they come of age, it’s tradition to find an eagle’s egg, hatch it and raise it. After a harrowing journey to retrieve his egg, Noa returns to his clan with his comrades Soona and Naya.
Noa is an outsider to his family. His father is an eagle whisperer, while Noa struggles to connect with the patriotic birds. After losing his egg, Noa heads out at night to retrieve another. He leaves a trail picked up by a clan of rampaging apes who descend upon his village.
Noa puts up a fight but is left for dead while his friends and family are kidnapped. Noa summons his courage and begins an arduous journey to bring them home. When he meets Raka, he learns of Caesar’s teachings and understands humanity’s connection to the apes.
Noa’s a great protagonist. He’s discerning and courageous, but not without some flaws. His lack of historical knowledge of Caesar sets up a great arc.
Proximus’s domain in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
Proximus rules the clan that kidnaps Noa’s friends and family.
He quotes Caesar often or, to be more accurate twists Caesar’s words to suit his agenda, which is a nice allegory to today’s political climate. Proximus is also fascinated with human tools and wishes to gain access to weaponry in his quest to unite all apes under his kingdom.
He tries to appeal to Noa’s distrust of Mae. However, she also tries to appeal to Mae’s goals by offering her freedom to access a vault. He even employs another human in Trevathan (William H. Macy), who teaches him human history.
Proximus is a great villain who looks to use all tools at his disposal. To him, these tools include his fellow apes.
Humanity’s last hope
The most interesting relationship is the one between Mae and Noa. Mae is the human who steals Noa’s egg. Then, she follows him on his journey.
Raka and Noa believe she’s joining them for food and shelter. However, in distress, Mae yells out Noa’s name confirming her ability to think and speak. That’s just one of the secrets she’s keeping from Noa.
To his credit, Noa never trusts Mae. Raka passing down Caesar’s teachings softens Noa a bit. Before they can connect, they’re kidnapped and brought into Proximus’s kingdom.
Mae does know about the secret vault but refuses to divulge to Proximus. The vault contains a tool that could lead to the survival of the human race. Noa wonders if Caesar was right about humans and apes standing side by side. Despite openly stating he no longer trusts her, Noa decides that Mae’s his best option for freeing his clan.
In the film’s outstanding conclusion, Mae once again reveals she will do what is best for humanity. The future relationship between humans and apes is uneasy, but Noa and Mae seem to understand for now.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes final thoughts
Emotionally, visually and allegorically speaking, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is one of the best 2024 movies. Some wardrobe choices break the immersive world, and the character-focused story comes at the expense of exploring this new world ruled by apes. However, the fact that this film can breathe the same area as War and Dawn is a remarkable accomplishment.
The Review
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
PROS
- Noa is a wonderful protagonist and worth of carrying on Caesar's legacy.
- Proximus Caesar is a terrific villain.
- Visually breakthtaking.
- The human-ape dynamic is gripping.
- Caesar's presence continues after his death.
CONS
- Mae's wardrobe choice doesn't match the rest of humanity.
- Would have been nice to see more than two ape clans.
